???

everyone’s always like if you engage with the story it pays off in shb and ew but it imho it pays off in a much more tangible way far earlier in sb if you gaf about Arenvald (him talking to A’aba and Aulie while everyone else is congratulating you is one of my favorite parts of the game), if Gallien saying you might not remember him but he remembers you means anything before the summoning of shinryu (he’s also a oft-unmentioned part of the drk quests), if doing the For Wilred questline and walking back with Bertliana to Ala Mhigo means anything to you. and to possibly do that you gotta engage a little with the world beyond the parts that boost your wol’s personal angst portfolio